ETF Versus

IJR vs VO

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IJR iShares

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.28%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $90.2B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.28% Since: May 22, 2000
VO Vanguard

Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.50%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $90.7B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.50% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VO has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.06%), saving about $60 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, IJR has significantly outperformed with a 19.2% return vs 11.4%.

Key Metrics

Metric IJR VO
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 1.5%
Fund Family iShares Vanguard
Category US Small Cap US Mid Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 88 101 114 127 140 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IJR +13.0%
VO +27.8%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR VO Difference
1 Month -4.33% -5.54% +1.21%
3 Months +2.92% -1.24% +4.16%
6 Months +4.03% -2.10% +6.13%
YTD +2.92% -1.24% +4.16%
1 Year +19.20% +11.38% +7.82%
3 Years +29.06% +37.24% -8.18%
5 Years +12.98% +27.84% -14.86%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees VO Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $120 $60 $60
$10.000 20 years $515 $258 $257
$10.000 30 years $1.664 $835 $828
$50.000 10 years $598 $299 $299
$50.000 30 years $8.318 $4.176 $4.142
$100.000 30 years $16.637 $8.352 $8.285

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR VO
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 17.6%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -28.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 0.11

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR VO
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $4.33
Dividend Yield 1.28% 1.50%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJR Top Holdings

NameWeight
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCYXTSLA1.37%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.54%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.52%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.52%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.51%
Element Solutions IncESI0.51%
LKQ CorporationLKQ0.50%
SM Energy CompanySM0.49%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.48%

VO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Newmont CorporationNEM1.46%
Corning IncorporatedGLW1.20%
Howmet Aerospace Inc.HWM1.09%
Constellation Energy CorporationCEG1.06%
Vertiv Holdings CoVRT0.99%
Western Digital CorporationWDC0.99%
Seagate Technology Holdings plcSTX0.90%
Quanta Services, Inc.PWR0.87%
Cummins Inc.CMI0.83%
CRH plcCRH0.83%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VO if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose IJR if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

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